Department of Health and Social Care

Equity in Medical Devices

Lord Markham: My Rt Hon Friend the Minister of State (Minister for Health and Secondary Care) (Andrew Stephenson) has made the the following Written Statement:The NHS is committed to upholding high standards in medical device safety. In response to emerging evidence of potential ethnic and other unfair biases in the design and use of some medical devices commonly used in the NHS, an Independent Review (“review”) was commissioned by former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP.Today, I am pleased to publish the final report of the Independent Review into Equity in Medical Devices, alongside the Government’s response.I would like to place on record my gratitude to the review Chair, Dame Margaret Whitehead, and the panel who conducted this review. They embraced a comprehensive approach in involving stakeholders, fostering collaboration with clinical experts, NHS planners and policy advisors, engaging with health professionals on the front line, educators and crucially, patients and the public. This deliberate approach underscores the importance and impact of the panel’s findings, and their recommendations are integral to our commitment to fostering a fair and healthy future for all.The panel made 18 recommendations, taking these recommendations in turn:Recommendations 1 – 3 focus specifically on pulse oximeters and cover immediate mitigation measures to ensure existing devices can perform to a high standard and improvements in international standards for approval of new device models.Recommendations 4 – 7 focus on prevention of potential for harm through improved detection of bias in optical devices, including better research and testing, more robust monitoring and auditing and refreshed education for health professionals.Recommendations 8 – 14 focus on enabling the development of safe and equitable Artificial Intelligence (AI) medical devices.Recommendation 15 underscores the urgency of preparing for the transformative impact of large language and foundation models on healthcare and regulatory systems.Recommendations 16 – 18 address equity concerns and societal challenges related to polygenic risk scores (PRS) in genomics. They emphasise the need for regulation in response to the influx of commercial PRS tests in the UK.The Government’s response has been published alongside the final report. The Government welcomes and acknowledges the importance of the outlined recommendations, endorsing its main argument that, unless appropriate actions are taken, biases can occur throughout the entire medical device life cycle.We are dedicated to ensuring equitable medical device practices, spanning from design through to use. The Government has already initiated substantial efforts addressing many of the essential elements of the report’s recommendations, as detailed in the Government response. As we continue to drive progress, we welcome ongoing collaboration with industry partners, which is paramount to embedding best practices and supporting the NHS in delivering optimal and equitable care for all.Both the final report from the Independent Review into Equity in Medical Devices and the Government’s response will be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses, and published on GOV.UK.

Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1

Lord Markham: My Rt Hon Friend the Minister of State (Minister for Health and Secondary Care) (Andrew Stephenson) has made the the following Written Statement: I would like to inform the House that I have accepted the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to introduce a new condition Tyrosinemia type 1 to the New-born Bloodspot Screening Programme in England. Hereditary Tyrosinemia type 1 is a rare genetic condition that affects approximately seven babies in the UK per year. Left untreated this condition can lead to severe complications such as liver, kidneys and nervous system damage, and in some cases requires liver transplant. Without treatment, children with Tyrosinemia type 1 often do not survive past the age of 10. There is no cure for this condition however treatment can help prolong life. There is currently an inequitable situation whereby families with a known history of this condition can seek early screening and access treatment before their child shows symptoms, when treatment is most effective. While parents without a known history will only discover their child’s condition when symptoms become evident and when treatment is less effective. Introducing Tyrosinemia type 1 to the New-born Bloodspot Screening Programme will create a fairer, faster, and simpler route to diagnosis and treatment. NHS England have started the work needed to ensure this programme can be implemented next year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the UK National Screening Committee for continuing to provide invaluable expert advice on screening programmes and I would also like to pay tribute to all those who work and deliver a high-quality screening across the country. The addition of this new condition will maintain the Government’s commitment to improving equity of access to effective treatments for rare diseases.

Correction to Dental Patient Charges Uplift 24/25 Statement

Lord Markham: This Written Ministerial Statement is made to correct a small error in the previous version, published on 7 March 2024.The Department recently published “Our plan to recover and reform NHS dentistry”, which will make dental services faster, simpler and fairer to patients and will fund around 2.5 million additional appointments (or more than 1.5 million additional courses of dental treatment). The Plan sets out a number of actions that will improve access for patients, by helping the sector to recover activity more quickly, addressing underlying issues and setting out the action needed for longer term reform of the system.The National Health Service (Dental Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (“the Amendment Regulations”) were laid in Parliament on 1 March 2024 to increase National Health Service dental patient charges in England from 1 April 2024.NHS dental patient charges provide an important revenue source for NHS dentistry and are typically uplifted on the 1 April each financial year. In April 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care implemented the first dental patient charge uplift since December 2020. The economic climate at the time, along with extended period between uplifts and increasing costs of delivering NHS dental care, meant that a higher than usual uplift of 8.5% came into force in April 2023. This allows a smaller uplift for 2024/25 without adversely affecting NHS budgets. It is important that current and future work to improve NHS dentistry is not undermined by the risk of reduced funding because of lower NHS dental patient charge revenue.Therefore, from 1 April 2024, dental patient charges in England will increase by 4%. This means that a dental charge payable for a band 1 course of treatment will rise by £1.00, from £25.80 to £26.80. For a band 2 course of treatment, there will be an increase of £2.80 from £70.70 to £73.50. A band 3 course of treatment will increase by £12.30 from £306.80 to £319.10.Details of the revised charges for 2024/25 can be found in the table below:BandDescriptionFrom April 2024 (proposed)1This band includes examination, diagnosis (including radiographs), advice on how to prevent future problems, scale and polish if clinically needed, and preventative care (e.g. applications of fluoride varnish or fissure sealant)£26.802This band covers everything listed in band 1, plus any further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or extractions£73.503This band covers everything in bands 1 and 2, plus course of treatment including crowns, dentures, bridges and other laboratory work£319.10UrgentThis band covers urgent assessment and specified urgent treatments such as pain relief or a temporary filling or dental appliance repair£26.80We will continue to provide financial support to those who need it most by offering exemptions to the dental patient charges for a range of circumstances. Patients will continue to be entitled to free NHS dental care if they are under 18, or under 19 and in full-time education; pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months; are being treated in an NHS hospital and have their treatment carried out by the hospital dentist (patients may have to pay for dentures or bridges); receiving low-income benefits; or, are under 20 and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits. Support is also available through the NHS Low Income Scheme for those patients who are not eligible for exemption or full remission.Whilst we recognise that this uplift follows a higher than usual uplift of 8.5% in April 2023, we consider that this is proportionate, as the cost of delivering NHS dental care continues to increase and dental patient charges have typically been uplifted by 5% each year, which is above the rate of inflation. The 4% proposed uplift creates a real terms increase of 2% since April 2023. Dental patients will benefit from the continued provision that this important revenue supports.In addition, the Department is seeking an amendment to a previous change made to the National Health Service (General Dental Services Contracts) Regulations 2005 and The National Health Service (Personal Dental Services Agreements) Regulations 2005 (the Regulations) in June 2023. This amendment seeks to clarify that the powers regarding unilateral rebasing of underperforming NHS dental contracts applies on a prospective only basis, in line with the views of the Joint Commission on Statutory Instruments.By providing clarity in this previous amendment, NHS dental commissioners will be able to prospectively rebase persistently underperforming contracts and improve access to NHS dental care for patients.These measures are in addition to the reforms announced in July 2022 – the first changes to the dentistry contract since 2006. We are also working on further reforms to the 2006 contract and we expect to develop options for consultation with the dental profession in advance of a further announcement later this year. Any changes would be phased in from 2025 onwards.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Hong Kong British National Overseas [BN(O)] Welcome Programme Year 4 Funding Announcement

Baroness Swinburne: My Honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Homelessness (Felicity Buchan MP) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement:Today, I am pleased to announce the launch of the fourth year of funding for the Hong Kong British National Overseas [BN(O)] Welcome Programme. We will continue to offer support to BN(O)s as they integrate into their communities through the Programme, including by:Continuing funding for 12 Welcome Hubs across the UK, at the same level of £3.6 million as previous years;Continuing demand-led funding for local authorities to provide English language and destitution support (England only);Funding a grant scheme worth c. £1 million for Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations to deliver projects focusing on the two priority areas of (a) employability and (b) mental health and wellbeing;Maintaining funding for the Hate Crime Reporting Service for BN(O)s and ESEA communities until the 31 March 2024, and a further announcement on the future provider will be made in due course;Continuing to signpost BN(O)s through the online Welcome Pack with information about the support and services they can access in the UK;In addition, the £2.5 million Children and Young People’s Resettlement Fund facilitates projects in England until March 2025 that support young people on the Hong Kong BN(O), Ukrainian and Afghan pathways. Families will benefit from the projects funded, which include projects tailored to the specific needs of Hong Kong BN(O) children and young people in areas such as mental health and trauma support.There will no longer be funding for regional VCSE projects as we are targeting the funding of the Programme to support BN(O)s in line with current needs identified through ongoing delivery and funded research.This funding for the fourth year will run from the 1 April 2024 until the 31 March 2025. Funding on certain Programme components (English language and destitution support) will be allocated to devolved administrations according to the Barnett formula.Through the continuation of Welcome Programme funding as it moves into its fourth year, the Government is demonstrating its continued commitment to supporting Hong Kong British National (Overseas) [BN(O)]s who have chosen to make the UK their home.

Department for Work and Pensions

Supporting People to Claim Universal Credit

Viscount Younger of Leckie: My honourable Friend, the Minister of State for Employment (Jo Churchill MP) has made the following Written Statement.DWP would like to announce the outcome of the grant competition to identify an organisation to continue providing support for customers making a new claim to Universal Credit.Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland will continue to deliver the support independently across England, Scotland, and Wales with up to a further £38m investment planned for two years from April 2024. This means that free confidential and impartial support will continue to be available to help people make a new Universal Credit claim, including those invited to move from legacy benefits to Universal Credit, and manage their claim, up to receiving their first correct payment.As there is no change in the substance of support provided, the ‘Future Support Offer 2024’ name, used during the competition to indicate that DWP was looking for future provision, will revert to ‘Help to Claim’. The decision to retain the name reflects the fact that ‘Help to Claim’ is a recognisable brand, both to people who will be using the support and to the people who will be providing that support.Since April 2019, ‘Help to Claim’ has supported nearly 900,000 people, with 9 in 10 people rating their overall experience as good or very good and would recommend it to friends and family, providing a strong rationale for the decision to keep the name.The support will continue to be provided through telephony and digital channels. For those individuals who are unable to access support via these channels, they will be able to go to their local jobcentre, where jobcentre staff will identify the right support to meet their needs. This support is already in place and available to those individuals who choose to seek advice from the Department directly in making a claim to Universal Credit.The Department is committed to providing the best possible support for all our customers, including the most vulnerable in society, in both making and maintaining their claim.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

UK Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Honourable Friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Europe (Leo Docherty MP), has today made the following statement:The Hon. Member for Brigg and Goole (Andrew Percy MP) has been appointed as a full member of the United Kingdom Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in place of the the Hon. Member for North Norfolk (Duncan Baker MP).

British Embassy in Timor-Leste Announcement

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Right Honourable Friend, the Minister of State for Indo-Pacific (Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP), has today made the following statement:I am announcing the UK’s intention to re-open the British Embassy in Timor-Leste. This will mark the next stage in our deepening friendship – building on an intensification of the bilateral relationship over the last two years, including the visit by President Ramos-Horta to the UK in February 2024 and my recent visits to Timor-Leste in September 2023 and again on 1-2 March.This decision sends a strong signal of the UK’s support to Timor-Leste, a country that is making important strides on its own development journey and is also ready to stand up for a rules-based international order based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Our countries have been friends since Timor-Leste achieved its independence in 2002. We were pleased to see Timor-Leste secure its accession to the World Trade Organisation in February 2024 and will continue to support its progress in completing the roadmap for accession to ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations). The UK has diplomatic missions in all of ASEAN’s ten existing Member States and as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner we want to ensure we remain well represented throughout this dynamic and strategically important region. This will take the number of officially designated overseas posts to 282.The UK is committed to building stronger long-term partnerships in the Indo-Pacific to support maritime and economic security, using our expanded global diplomatic network to support these relationships. By sharing expertise, increasing maritime resilience, and looking to expand our diplomatic presence to Timor-Leste, the UK is working to safeguard long-term global security and prosperity.

Department for Business and Trade

Israel Trade Negotiations Update

Lord Johnson of Lainston: My Rt Hon Friend the Minister of State for Trade Policy (Greg Hands MP) has today made the following statement.The fourth round of United Kingdom-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations took place virtually between 19 – 29 February 2024.During this round, officials held technical text-based discussions across 12 policy areas in 26 sessions. The negotiations focused particularly on services, which are not covered by our existing agreement, and important given the UK is the world’s second largest exporter of services.These negotiations reflect our shared commitment to working towards a comprehensive deal and strengthen our existing trade relationship, worth £6.4bn in Q3 of 2023. A cutting-edge agreement with provisions covering services, innovation and digital trade would complement both our economies.A fifth round of negotiations will take place in due course.The UK will maintain its long-standing foreign policy positions in this FTA, including with respect to the internationally recognised borders of Israel; and will continue to exclude illegal settlements to ensure nothing in this FTA undermines the viability of a two-state solution.The Government remains clear that any deal we sign, including with Israel, will be in the best interests of the British people and the United Kingdom economy. We will not compromise on our high environmental and labour protections, public health, animal welfare and food standards, and we will maintain our right to regulate in the public interest. We are also clear that during these negotiations, the NHS, and the services it provides is not on the table.The Government will continue to work closely with Israel and will keep Parliament updated as these negotiations progress.

Cabinet Office

The Elizabeth Emblem

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Deputy Prime Minister has today laid in Parliament a paper setting out the details of ‘The Elizabeth Emblem’, a new award to honour those who have died in the course of public service.The recognition will be in the form of an emblem for the next of kin to wear at their discretion, with a memorial scroll and miniature included. The Elizabeth Emblem is silver in colour and in the form of an oval. The obverse of the emblem shall bear the inscription “For A Life Given In Service” surrounded by a rosemary wreath, as a symbol of remembrance, and a Tudor Crown. The reverse of the emblem shall be inscribed upon with the name of the person for whom it is in memoriam.We owe a great debt to those who give their lives in public service. Their next of kin will now be eligible to receive this recognition as a mark of the nation’s gratitude in the form of The Elizabeth Emblem.